


The Winslow Saga

by geminiangel



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-07-22 20:57:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7453687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geminiangel/pseuds/geminiangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for a creative writing group.</p>
<p>Focuses on family interactions and mother-in-laws.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Winslow Saga

**Author's Note:**

  * For [psyche53](https://archiveofourown.org/users/psyche53/gifts).



Ann heard the apartment door open and automatically her spine straightened. Putting on what she hoped was a welcoming smile; she left the small, overheated kitchen and moved to the living room. Her husband gave her a reassuring smile before stepping aside to let his mother enter.

“Ann, dear, you’re looking very…fit. Have you put on weight?” Barbara Winslow air kissed Ann’s cheek. Her white skin accentuated by her emerald eye shadow and black mascara. Rouge was somewhat tastefully, if heavily applied to her check bone.

For a woman in her sixties, the copper red hair was a tad over the top, Ann thought snidely. What woman her age dressed in mini-skirts and three-inch heels? “It’s lovely to see you, too, Mother Winslow.”

“I was surprised you did not come with David to the airport, dear. In my day, I would never have failed to meet dear Mother Winslow, of course, we had much more respect for our elders, then.”

“Mother, I explained that Ann had to work this morning and then she wanted to start dinner.” David smiled reassuringly at this wife. “I’ll put your bags in the spare room.”

“Dear, I hope you got a new mattress. It took weeks for my back to stop aching after last year. Ann, darling, did you redecorate?” Narrowed eyes raked the living room.

“Well, yes, we did.”

“Very…green, isn’t it? I find beige and blues so much more restful. How ever did you afford it on your salaries?” Mrs. Winslow placed her small Prada handbag carefully on the coffee table.

“Well, David got a Christmas bonus and we decided to give the living room a makeover rather than buy each other gifts.”

“Rather than travel to see your poor mother-in-law. I spent Christmas at the church serving the poor unfortunates. I volunteered as the other members had families to spend the day with.”

“Mother, we asked you to join us for Christmas.” David interceded entering from the spare room.

“Don’t be ridiculous, darling. Christmas should be spent in your home with your children around you, not traveling halfway around the country at my age. Plus, with my health, traveling is so difficult.” 

She was conveniently forgetting her trips to Aspen, Vegas, Europe and Tahiti, Ann thought. “I hope you’re hungry. I made a special dinner and it’s ready to serve.”

“I would have preferred a chance to freshen up.” Mrs. Winslow straightened her immaculate emerald colored miniskirt and tuxedo style jacket set. Her turquoise and emerald blouse was as crisp as if it had just been ironed. “It’s so much more civilized when people dress for dinner.” 

Ann gritted her teeth as Mrs. Winslow leisurely looked at her from head to toe, taking in the slightly rumpled pants and blouse that Ann had worn to work. 

“By the way, David, darling, did I tell you I ran into Cynthia last week? She looks wonderful, has not gained an ounce since when you were dating. Such fashion sense, she looked sensational. Some women just know how to take care of themselves and how to accessorize properly. Too bad, it is such a lost art. Then, professional women just do not seem to care about their appearance. Don’t you agree, Ann, darling?” 

As Ann followed her husband and mother-in-law into the dining room, she wondered if the jury would believe that the electric knife slipped while she was carving the roast. 

“Roast beef? I really have been trying to watch what I eat. You know that beef is so full of cholesterol. You would not mind, just making me a salad, would you, Ann, dear? Radicchio lettuce, organic cucumber, tomato, only if it is fresh, and no dressing, please. Older women have to watch the figures, don’t we, dear?” 

“We don’t have radicchio, mother. But, I’m sure Ann won’t mind making you a salad.”

“Of course, not, Mother Winslow, I’ll just be a minute. David, go ahead and eat before it gets cold.” Ann grabbed the iceberg lettuce and salad fixings from the refrigerator. Thunk! The head of lettuce hit the counter. With a savage twist, Ann removed the now loosened core from the lettuce. Grasping the long kitchen knife, she began to chop the lettuce. “Have you put on weight?” Whack! “Blues are more restful.” Whack! “Some women know how to accessorize.” Whack! “Cynthia looks sensational!” Whack! Whack! As Ann turned her attention to the cucumber viciously chopping it to bits, she thought facing the jury just might be worth it.

 

Ann glanced at the clock. Luckily, Mother Winslow must be in the spare room performing her toilette, she thought as she headed for the master bedroom. She would have loved to have a shower, but she was already running late. When she entered their room, David looked up.

“You’re late.”

“I know. Emergency patient came in. It won’t take me but a minute to change.” Ann raked her bottom lip between her teeth. “David, about tonight…” Ann licked her lips and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “This is an important night for my family. We can’t just not attend. My parents have been planning this party for weeks.”

David ran a hand towel briskly over his wet hair. The bath towel he had knotted about his hips, rode low. “I think your parents will understand. It is not as if we never see them. We had dinner there just the other weekend. Mother has flown all this way and wants to spend some quality time with us.” 

I know exactly what quality, Ann thought as she fastened on a clean bra. “David, this dinner party is to celebrate Amy’s graduation and her acceptance to UCLA. She’s the first one in our family to go to college.”

“You went to college.” David slid into his underwear.

“I took one year course at the community college. It’s not the same. Amy is going into medicine. This party is important. I told Mother Winslow about it when she let us know she was coming.”

“Honey, she couldn’t help it that her travel agent got the date mixed up. She feels horrible about this.” David came up behind her and brushed a kiss to the nape of her neck.

“She can go with us. Mother said she’d be happy to see her.” Well, happy to see his mother under a train had been her mother’s exact words, but no sense throwing gasoline on the coals. Ann went to the closet to pull out her best dress, bought three years earlier.

“Ann, mother would feel so out of place. Besides, she’s made plans for us to have dinner at the “Crystal Cascades”. I’d hate to disappoint her.” 

“What about me? Would you hate to disappoint me, David?” Ann stuffed her feet into her ballet style slippers. Ripping the dress off the hanger, she thrust her head through the neckline and wrenched it into place. 

“Now, honey…” David casually tucked his shirt into his dress slacks. “Don’t be that way.”

What way? Ann thought staring at the man, she had married. Finally standing up for herself, against the treatment she had taken from his mother? 

David shrugged into his suit jacket. With a quick peck on the check, David took her elbow and guided her from the bedroom. “Your parents will understand, honey. You’ll see.” 

Mother Winslow turned from the hallway mirror where she had been fussing at her perfect coiffure. “Ann, darling, I thought you were going to take off work early and have something nice done to your hair. I offered to pay for the salon, if you couldn’t afford it.”

“She’s looks beautiful the way she is, mother. I like her with her hair down.” 

“Of course, darling.” Mother Winslow reached up and dusted an imaginary speck of lint from his lapel. 

“Shall we go?” David opened the apartment door and then gallantly offered his arm to his mother

“Ann, dear, you’re not really wearing that dress to the restaurant, are you?”

“No, Mother Winslow, I’m not.” Ann stepped through the doorway ahead of her husband and mother-in-law. “I’m wearing it to my sister’s graduation party. Enjoy your dinner.” The automatic closer pulled the door shut cutting off her mother-in-law’s indignant protest.

 

“Ann,” Tess Porter joined her oldest daughter on the porch. “you’re very quiet tonight. We would have understood if you had joined David and Mrs. Winslow for dinner.” 

“I know.” Ann bowed her head. “I just couldn’t do it.”

“Honey, you know we don’t want to cause trouble between you and David.”

“You’re not.”

“Maybe if you talked to her.”

“It’s not just her,” Ann turned from the railing to face her mother, “though she’s a big part of the problem.”

“I thought I noticed some tension between you and David the other evening.”

“I’ve been offered a promotion at work. It would mean we could afford to buy a house.”

“That’s wonderful, darling.” Tess hugged her daughter proudly. “It is wonderful, isn’t it?”

“David doesn’t want me to take it. It would mean going full-time, not part-time. He says that his mother didn’t work and he doesn’t want a part-time wife.” 

“Oh, honey. I’m sorry.”

“I want a home of my own. Don’t get me wrong, I love our apartment, but I want our own home. A place that is ours, where we don’t have to get permission to paint the walls. I’m so tired of trying to live up to his mother. I don’t cook like she does; don’t dress like she does. I don’t know if I can take it anymore and I don’t know if I want to bring a child into it. I’m just so tired of it all.”

“Ann, what are you saying?” Tess cupped her hand beneath her daughter’s chin and forced her to meet her eyes. “Ann?”

“I think I could be pregnant,” Ann took a deep breath and continued, “and I think I’m leaving David.”

“Oh, Ann. That’s wonderful?” Tess was hesitant to show her happiness over a prospective grandchild. “You do want a baby?”

“More than anything. It’s all I’ve dreamed about, having a family with …”

“With David?” 

“I did. But, not with her.” Ann smiled ruefully. “I keep hoping that David will stand up to her, stand up for me. Whenever, she’s around, he just gives up control of his life, our life. I don’t want that for our child. With the new job and the benefits, I could build a life for me and our baby. Get a small house, maybe near you and Daddy.”

“But leaving him? Are you sure that’s the answer?”

“I don’t know what the answer is. Got any advice?” Once again, she was like a child looking to her mother for guidance. 

“Talk to David, honey. You need to tell him how you feel. Give him a chance.”

“I know.” Ann turned to look at the stars again. “But what if he lets me down again?” 

 

It was half-past one o’clock, when Ann let herself into the apartment. Catching sight of Mother Winslow’s Prada bag next to David’s keys on the entry table, she bolted the door behind herself and started across the living room towards the bedroom.

“It’s awful late.” 

Ann started. She had expected David to be in bed, since he had to work in the morning. “Sorry. I would have called but I thought you’d be asleep. Did you have a good dinner?”

“Did you expect me to?” Getting up from his chair, David turned towards the bedroom and then turned back. “Mother was very upset. She feels that you should have said something to her, not just take off like that. It was very rude.”

“I did say something. But she never hears what she doesn’t want to hear.” Ann walked towards him.

“I don’t have time to get into this tonight. I’ve got work in the morning.” David stalked into the bedroom, but threw a parting shot over his shoulder. “You need to apologize to Mother in the morning.”

Ann threw her purse onto the couch before following. For a minute, but just a minute, she tried to tamp down her anger. The bedroom door shut behind her loudly. 

“Keep in down, you’ll wake Mother. She’s had a very trying day.”

“She’s had a trying day? What about me?” 

“I don’t have time for your histrionics tonight.” David stripped to his briefs.

“Well, you better make time,” Ann faced him defiantly, “because I can’t go on like this, David. I won’t go on like this anymore. I’m tired of your mother’s little putdowns, her little reminders about your old life and darling Cynthia, and her absolute disregard for me and my wishes.”

“Mother knows that Cynthia and I are still friends. It’s understandable that she keeps me up to date on her life. You’re just too sensitive. You’re always looking for something to argue about, for her to say one thing you can grab hold of and blow out of proportion.”

“Do you hear yourself? Is this the man who decided to move across the country to go to college so he could have a life of his own? What was it you said about her smothering you after she drove your father away?”

“I’m not discussing this tonight. You’re being unreasonable.” David turned and pulled the blanket up to his shoulders.

“Fine. Then just listen. It’s your choice. You are either my husband or her little boy. I’m not going to put up with her disrespect or her interference anymore. So, you need to decide what you want out of life. When you decide, I’ll be at Kimbra’s.” Ann turned.

“You’re not leaving the house in the middle of the night.” David sat up in bed.

“Yes. I am. If you are man enough to put your mother on a leash, let me know. Otherwise, I’m done, David.”

Following an irate wife into the living room in his boxers, probably wasn’t David’s wisest move. “Ann, you’re not leaving.

“Yes, I am.”

“Keep your voice down.”

Ann deliberately raised her voice, as she snatched her purse from the couch. “I’ll speak as loudly as I wish in my home.”

“I’m warning you.”

“No, David. I’m warning you and your mother. I will not be treated this way anymore. So, talk it over with your mother, see if she’s willing to let you have a wife and family of your own. I’m not going to be second-place anymore. I will be at Kimbra’s. If you want this marriage, you’ll work it out. Till then, I’m not coming back.” Ann opened the apartment door. “And just so you know, I won’t come back just because I’m pregnant. I will not subject our baby to her little taunts.” For a second time that night, the apartment door effectively shut off a conversation.

 

Polite applause followed. Dee smiled at the audience. "And she didn’t subject me to it. My mother didn’t compromise. She didn’t give in to my grandmother’s demands that she and my father raise me. My mom protected me and guided me. I am here today, as your valedictorian, because of my mother, Ann Winslow. It hasn’t been easy for her, raising me by herself. It took a strong will to force my father to choose and not to give in to situation that was not healthy for her or for me. I hope that in the future, I can live up to her bravery, her love and her example. Thank-you, mother.


End file.
